1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector, more particularly to the modification of an electric connector using a contact(s) where a pin-shaped contact(s) is housed in a conductive tubular body (bodies) in such manner that the contact(s) is energized to move freely back and forth by a spring(s), which is a so-called probe-type contact.
2. Prior Art
First, an electric connector using a conventional probe-type joint will be described using a drawing. FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B shows the electric connector using the probe-type contact described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-149954 publication (Refer to FIG. 6, right column on page 3.), in which FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B respectively show the sectional view of the contact and the side view showing the state of connection of the electric connector with particular equipment.
In the probe-type contact 2, as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, a conductive pin 3 is arranged in such manner as to move freely in protruding and withdrawing directions in a conductive tube 4, and a narrow portion is provided at the tip of the conductive tube 4 to prevent the conductive pin 3 from coming out in the protruding direction. Further, a coil spring 5 is provided in a retracted state in the conductive tube 4 so as to elastically energize the conductive pin 3 in the protruding direction.
The probe-type contact 2 constituted in this manner is electrically connected to a circuit board 6 in an electric connector main body 1 of a cell phone and the like as shown in FIG. 8. On the other hand, a battery 7 is installed to the electric connector main body 1 in such manner as to be freely detachable. Then, the conductive pin 3 elastically contacts the terminal 7a of the battery 7 in an attached state and thus the electric connector main body 1 and the battery 7 are electrically connected via the terminal 7a and the probe-type contact 2.
The battery 7 is attached to the electric connector main body 1 when the terminal 7a of the battery 7 contacts the contact of the conductive pin 3 of the probe-type contact 2 in a horizontal direction marked by the arrow X. At this point, the contact position of the terminal 7a and the conductive pin 3 is a contact point x0 on the surface of the terminal 7a, and when the battery is moved further in the direction of X, the conductive pin 3 withdraws and recedes into the conductive tube 4 resisting the energizing force of the spring 5. Such movement of the conductive pin 3 causes its tip portion to elastically contact the battery terminal 7a, and its contact point x′0 is at the same position as the point before the move.
However, there are cases where dust and the like adheres to or an oxide film is formed on the terminal surface of the battery, causing contact failure, thereby preventing good electrical connection.